Call of the Civil
by Jake Caldefore
Summary: Alex Rekwall was the most unfortunate boy ever. Totally made up. Please R&R! Send ideas! Seriously though. DO PLEASE REVIEW! I BEG OF YOU! Oh yeah, the title is making fun of Call of the Wild. My summaries are horrible. Just read it.
1. Picnic Panic

Please R&R! Send ideas! Tell me what you think!

Note: Any characters that have the same name as anyone else or settings and plot that are the same are _**TOTALLY **_coincidental, and not purposefully written.

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Alex Rekwall was an unfortunate boy. Maybe it was because he was born on the 31st of October. His parents had died in a fire. He got lost in the woods after fleeing from his home. He lived and grew up in the woods until he was 14 years old. After that, his life took a turn. 

He was trekking through the twisting forest, knowing his way well. His great sense of sight and hearing had gotten even better. Further more, he had better reflexes than when he was 13.

He was wearing civilian's clothes. He found them after discovering a small log shelter in a small clearing deep in the woods. It was abandoned and was rotting. He quickly took the supplies he needed and left.

He stopped suddenly. He could hear the crunch of footsteps and snapping of twigs behind him. He turned around, immediately dropping down to a crouch; into the fighting stance he had learned when he was back in the city, taking self-defense lessons.

It was too heavy to be a fox's, and too slow for a deer's. Perhaps someone had finally come rescue him, after a year living in solitude?

He waited amongst the shadows, silent under the whispering trees and the moaning wind.

The footsteps became louder. The lost boy suddenly realized that there were not just one pair of footsteps, there were three.

The beings came closer, past a grove of trees. They slowly came into focus when they stopped in a clearing with sunlight pouring down.

Alex was shocked. People! He had not seen what they looked like for quite awhile. The last person he saw was a hunter, and he didn't want to go near his rifle.

He cocked his head, watching the family with interest. He guessed that they were on a _picnic_. They had a little blanket and a backpack full of food.

Food. He realized how hungry he was now. Its aroma was traveling through the forest. He smelled grapes, cheese, and bread. Ham, chicken, and…beef? His mouth was watering at the thought.

He watched them eating; laughing; having fun. He felt a pang of sadness and jealousy stab through his heart.

Eventually, curiosity got to the better of him. He peeked out from his cover under the tree.

The family was eating and talking – until the man looked in his direction. Alex ducked back behind the tree. Hopefully he hadn't seen him.

Too late. The man was frowning and saying something that Alex couldn't hear, and the family turned to face his direction. The girl who looked a little older than him was peering past the trees and nudging her father to go forward.

Alex tried to turn and sprint out of the woods, but thought better of it. Making sound would attract even more unwanted suspicion.

He shifted his foot and tried to suppress a howl of agony. He looked down. Without making too much noise, he lifted his foot and saw a big, ugly thorn buried in his heel. Crimson blood was trickling down onto the dirt, leaves and rocks on the forest floor.

He looked back up. The man was leading the woman and girl to his direction. He couldn't do anything. Running would drive the thorn deeper into his foot and possibly cause an infection. All he could do was stay as silent as the trees around him.

"It's probably nothing. I just thought that someone might have been watching us or something. No sweat," said the man, coming closer, smiling and rubbing the girl's hand.

"But Dad! What if an animal was hurt and hungry? Maybe they need help!" The girl was looking at her father with brown eyes. The man glanced at the woman.

"I don't know, Mona. I guess we could check, just to make sure, OK? And if no one's here, we'll go. Deal?" The woman held out her hand for a handshake.

"OK, Mom. Deal," she shook her mother's hand and skipped toward Alex's hiding spot.

Oh great. He had just fallen into freezing-cold knee-deep water, waiting for the sharks to bite.

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Cliffhanger! Update later! Please R&R! I'll continue the story if I get at least 3 reviews! 


	2. Hypnotizer

Yes, yes. I know I said I'd update ASAP, and yes, I know you're angry, but I didn't have time to use the computer! (I hate it when the internet's down…) Luckily, we got a new network, and working functionally now.

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Alex squeezed his eyes shut, hoping against hope that he wouldn't be seen, and when he opened his eyes, the people would disappear.

He squinted in the dark gloom of the great sequoia redwoods surrounding him. The family drew nearer.

Suddenly, he could see the beauty in them. Not just as individuals, but also together. The man had gruff stubble and a tall, muscular build – a hunter? He had dark brown hair and brown eyes, and laugh lines. That was good he laughed a lot.

The woman was tall, but shorter than the man – her husband? She had blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, and small features with a stern look about them, with a pair of sunglasses fixed on top of her hair. Alex was curious – was she good or was she bad?

The girl. He fixed his gaze onto her as she drew closer. She had the brown hair of her father, but open features. An…_extrovert_? She had the nicest, wide, sophisticated brown eyes and small hands and ears.

Alex felt like screaming. He was about to be trapped by a _family_ – something he longed dearly for – in the woods, his home, his newest_life_.

"Mom, I don't think –" the girl – Mona – started. She squinted at my spot, trying in vain to get a better view amongst the twisting sword ferns and overhanging branches. Suddenly, she gasped. She ran a couple feet away from my direction and pointed to the ground covered in leaves and twigs.

"Mom…is that blood?"

The woman walked over. "Sam, I think you should look at this."

The man hurried over, bushy eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he examined the damp soil.

"It looks fresh…I don't know. It doesn't look like deer – there aren't any here anyway. Gosh, I don't really know Sarah…"

The girl, Mona, seemed too busy to hear what they were jabbering on about. Curiosity overcame fear and she followed the trail of blood…

…towards Alex's hiding spot, he realized with a gulp. He swallowed hard. Maybe he could surprise them.

Maybe not. The girl was looking straight at him now; at the figure crouched low, wrapping the dark, foreboding shadows around him, one foot slightly raised, hands curled into lethal fists.

The parents watched as Mona raised her hands and said in a slow, soft voice, "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help you. You're foot is hurt, isn't it?" Despite her tone, Alex was still wary and didn't respond except for a low, throaty growl.

The woman – Sarah – looked past Mona and saw the figure of the young boy. She gasped and muttered in low voice to Sam, the man.

The family slowly approached trying not to frighten the boy. Alex growled again, clearly louder this time.

The two parents immediately backed off, but Mona continued forward, cooing strange noises in a soft, singing voice.

Alex's growls died in his throat as he let the older girl hypnotize him. He watched in a daze as she came closer…

closer…

closer…

"It's OK," she cooed again, confident. "I won't let anything hurt you."

Alex felt a burst of trust connect between them; a strange sensation that made his skin tingle.

He slowly uncurled his fists and lowered his arms. He looked at the girl longingly.

Family?

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OK, OK. If I get a total of 7 reviews, I PROMISE to update sooner, compared to last time!

R&R and send ideas!

_To those who write_

_My contribution to you_

_Is your contribution to me_

_I'll get you through writer's block_

_And you'll get me through boredom._

_Deal?_

- Verity Han


	3. Important

This is Monica, Jake's friend. Jake asked me to contact everyone. Jake is very ill and he says that he has other duties to fulfill before he can continue with his other activities.

Jake asks you all not to worry about him, though I think everyone should pitch in and help cheer him up by sending him a message or picture. I'm sure he'd really appreciate your guys' help.

Pray while we're still here,  
Monica R.


End file.
